What makes your BMW better than HSYHTD

What makes your BMW bike better than a Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha, Harley, Triumph, Ducati, etc?

Telelever and Paralever keeps the BMW bike more controllable that the Honda ST1100's anti-dive forks? I took a recent skills class with a dozen other bikes (Improve awareness and cornering skills). Nine of the bikes were Harley's and their braking distance was kind of long. Some of the other bikes were diving a lot on the corner turns when braking.

Just curious what you found are BMW's engineering accomplishments. For me, the ABS, Telelever anti-dive, controllable power band on their K1200

After decades of riding Yamaha, Honda and most recently Triumph I noticed a big ugly BMW was able to go places my bikes couldn't with range my bikes couldn't match. So I traded to a GS, and eventually a GSA. I liked the feel from the start, especially in early spring when our paved roads here in Vermont were scarred from the potholes and frost heaves of winter. I've never looked back.

Pete

The luggage and lightness. Especially the easy removal of the top case and bags. For a riese tourer it’s really light.

How is a GSA on the highways and distance travels? How do you guys have two sets of tires for highway vs back roads?

My K1200GT runs Michelin Pilot Road 4 GT Tires. Not good for muddy gravel roads. Nice on the roads though. The GSA looks to be fine with falling over with all the cage protection. I could use that.

jrmull said:

What makes your BMW bike better than a Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha, Harley, Triumph, Ducati, etc?

Click to expand...

Same reason I own or have owned BMW, Porsche, Mercedes cars. Even VWs.

Plus Ducatis are Italian ( and the first bike I owned).

I don't know that BMW is necessarily better than any of the listed brands, and all of them (yes, even Harley) make solid, reliable bikes. BMW, Triumph, KTM, Ducati, and Honda make something that might plausibly meet my needs in terms of comfort (seating position) and features. Someone I knew whose judgement I respected said that there was no comparison between a Tiger 1200 and a R 1200 GS handling-wise, the GS was far better. In addition to not having cruise control, the AT is just too tall for someone with a 29" inseam IMO. Ducati and KTM are stupid powerful (why tempt myself) and need chain maintenance (if I can avoid that, why not?). Servicing them could be an issue in the boonies, in fact a lot of KTM dealers are dirt-focused and leery of the Multistradas. Nobody makes a bike with the range of a GSA, so when I see a sign "no services next 150 miles" I don't feel like I need to start maximizing range right now.

Technologically I don't think any of them are inherently superior to any other. Yah, Telelever vs. regular forks but I'm not convinced it's that much superior. Most shaft drive bikes have something that does what Paralever does in the rear so that's not differentiator. Boxer design does keep the bike from lying on its side and making it hard to pick up (not that I'd know about that...).

Is there anything on the BMW that's missing on the Triumph, that I absolutely can't live without? No, although BMW's wonderwheel integration with the (overpriced) Nav is nice. Am I a good enough rider to make use of the BMW's better handling? No. Are there more aftermarket farkles available for the BMW? Maybe, maybe not. But WTH, I could afford a BMW, I wanted it, so I got it.

Better how? I think they have a good philosophy insofar as everything works well together. It's a competent bike. Not necessarily best in everything, but at least very good in everything. From reliability/cost of ownership, it's probably a different story. It depends on what's important to you and what your tolerance is for weaknesses in a particular area.

For me it’s not the bike so much as it’s the culture and dealership. Gateway BMW in St. Louis not only sold me a bike, they gave me insight to a way of life of connection to other like minded adventurous folks who get the feeling of unique composure I get when riding. Whether questions about mechanics, riding style, training, or destinations, BMW folks fill the niche in my heart with solid information and friendships that add so much value to my journey through life!

weschmann said:

... Gateway BMW in St. Louis ...

Click to expand...

They have a R nineT Pure there I’m dying to go get.

I am relatively new to BMW and while I love our BMW bikes the biggest draw for me was the dealer experience.

I have been riding a certain Japanese brand since the 1970s and they make a very good machine that meets my needs but locally their dealer network has deteriorated horribly.

Towards the end of my Japanese bike experience I was ordering parts and tires from the brand’s Kamloops dealer (about 400km away from my home in Langely) or buying parts from BMW.

Dealing with BMW opened by eyes. My local BMW dealer treated motorcycles as vehicles not as a casual hobby and they often beat prices from the Japanese dealers (and they would actually get me OEM Japanese parts at much better prices).

Lastly, BMW treated my wife like the rider that she is. In the end we moved three Japanese bikes out of the garage and replaced them with two BMWs.

I am not impressed with the dealerships where I live now. I’d go to Tucson or back to Iowa if I was buying new.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

It's easierr to spell than Kawasakki

Upgraded from an R1200RT to my 2012 Gold Wing - never looked back. Truly the flagship of long-distance MC travel.

As well as …………


Oh crap. Wrong Forum.

Disregard.

If Harley could build a bagger with some suspension I would have never looked into buying a RT. I still have my Harley Limited, and enjoy riding it, but I also enjoy the RT.

what does my 1996 R1100RT have that makes it better than other bikes? I don't know electrically adjustable windscreen? in all seriousness my bike has does not seem to have anything on other bikes. When it was new maybe the ABS, but if it goes now it will likely be more than the value of the bike to replace. The amount of resources out there for the maintenance and modification is a big plus (although a lot of bikes with a big following have that) as well as the boxer seems easier to work on than a Big four inline. The fact that they still make oem parts for my 20+ year old bike is nice

PoorUB said:

If Harley could build a bagger with some suspension I would have never looked into buying a RT. I still have my Harley Limited, and enjoy riding it, but I also enjoy the RT.

Click to expand...

They're building an adventure bike with a modern engine. We should see it next year.

tmasselle said:

what does my 1996 R1100RT have that makes it better than other bikes? I don't know electrically adjustable windscreen? in all seriousness my bike has does not seem to have anything on other bikes. When it was new maybe the ABS, but if it goes now it will likely be more than the value of the bike to replace. The amount of resources out there for the maintenance and modification is a big plus (although a lot of bikes with a big following have that) as well as the boxer seems easier to work on than a Big four inline. The fact that they still make oem parts for my 20+ year old bike is nice

Click to expand...

Eventually, they all catch up. You have to know what you need. The new RTs have gotten expensive and I have to wonder how the tech and plastic will hold up over time? IDK. I just don't want to spend 25K or more on a motorcycle and I don't want someone else's problems. That's the joy of the big four: They tend to be more reliable, but getting parts as they age can be a hassle.

greenwald said:

Upgraded from an R1200RT to my 2012 Gold Wing - never looked back. Truly the flagship of long-distance MC travel.

As well as …………


Oh crap. Wrong Forum.

Disregard.

Click to expand...

Not sure if gaining 350lbs is an upgrade.

I have been a BMW owner and rider for 42 years. In the early years what distinguished BMW from every other brand was the availability of parts. Since then it has been the dealers and the friends that have kept us riding BMWs.

ponch1 said:

Not sure if gaining 350lbs is an upgrade.

Click to expand...

That's OK. Not sure sacrificing 350 lbs. of durability and storage was an upgrade either. The most fragile bike I ever owned was the R1200RT.

Too light, too many gizmo's, too over-engineered.

Weight doesn't scare me. I rode PD Harleys with so much gear/add-ons, that they outweighed the Wing - not an issue if you have the training and skills. Could make those Road Kings dance when I needed to. A bike could weigh 1200 lbs. - could still make it nimble and fast. It's more about who's in the saddle.

Besides - the Wing seems to shed 300 lbs. above a walking pace - I sifted my way thru The Dragon's curves on a Wing better than I ever did with the Beemer.

But, back to our originally scheduled program: "Why we all like BMW better than all those other brands?"

Interesting commentary.